Flood Control
Erosion Control Homeowners Assistance Center in Alpine, CA

Flood Control Functions

The Flood Control Section is responsible for the maintenance of existing stormwater drainage facilities, construction of new district facilities, flood warning, hydrologic data collection and assuring private development projects meet flood Control objectives and compliance with Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) guidelines. It provides staff support for the Flood Control Commission, drafts and reviews state and local
regulations and provides FEMA and County Flood Plain Map information, technical reports, public and private land development studies and standards for support of private development.  It also receives drainage complaints and provides information and appropriate action(s).

DPW Flood Control is supported by the: 

Flood Control is responsible for maintenance of stormwater drainage facilities, developing and reviewing hydrologic and hydraulic studies and associated mapping, and ensuring compliance with sound floodplain management criteria aimed at reducing flood risk. Flood Control is also responsible for flood warning and rainfall data collection.

Project Issue Resolution Conference:

For land development projects processed through Planning & Development Services, a Project Issue Resolution (PIR) Conference is a meeting that includes an applicant, our Executive Management team, and County Project Staff to discuss issues and identify solutions that were not able to be resolved with a County Project Manager due to interpretations of a code or other unique circumstances related to a project. The County is committed to helping customers navigate the land use permit process and ensuring customer satisfaction. The County recognizes land development can be complex and each project is unique. The goal of the PIR process is to help facilitate processing of each permit application in an efficient and timely manner by elevating technical project issues to our Executive Management team.  For more information, please see the PDS page.

Technical Manuals:

These documents provide guidelines on engineering design of your project. 

  • Hydrology Manual
  • Hydraulic Design Manual
    If proposed project involves complex modeling (i.e. HEC-RAS analysis) Flood Control District staff is available to meet to discuss appropriate parameter selection and other technical considerations.

Regulations, Ordinances, Requirements:

Floodplain information:

FEMA Information:

Hazard Mitigation Information:

Flyers:

Resources:

  • No-rise Certificate
  • Flood Warning
    Flood Warning uses a network of automated rain, stream, reservoir and weather stations known as the ALERT Flood Warning System. Weather changes are reported in real-time to our Kearny Mesa office.
  • San Diego Flood Warning System
    The San Diego County Flood Warning System is made up of 120 raingages, streamgages, weather stations, and lake level stations that report data in real time to the Flood Control Weather Center in Kearny Mesa. The system is internet-based and each of its sensors has defined alarms, that when activated, are used by the flood warning system to automatically assemble a warning message and send it out to the appropriate emergency managers by email or cell phone. The website has numerous links that allow the user to view and download the sensor data, view updating graphs and maps, and access other weather-related resources.
  • San Diego Geographic Information Source (SanGIS)
    SanGIS and SANDAG provide free public access to over 250 data layers in their joint Regional Data Warehouse. SanGIS also provides interactive maps, data extracts, and custom mapping services.
  • Protecting Your Property from Flood Damage
  • Disaster Do’s and Don’ts
  • Average Annual Rainfall Map
    The average annual rainfall map is a detailed rain map depicting the 30-year rainfall average in San Diego County. 30-year station rainfall averages from numerous locations in San Diego were plugged into a complex rainfall/terrain model developed by SDSU that accurately models the 30-year average rainfall as affected by changes in terrain elevation.
  • Web Cams
    Webcams are located at key high-traffic low water crossings that are subject to frequent flooding. The cameras produce streaming video that are used to determine crossing safety, identify road damage and debris on the road, and verify that signals and barriers are in place during flooding events. These cameras are viewable by the public.

Quick Links:

Meeting to discuss FEMA or County mapped floodplain on private property within the unincorporated area of the County. If the appointment is in relation to a Land Development project in process, a meeting should be scheduled directly with the PDS Project Manager.

 

DPW wants you to be prepared for the Rainy Season. Useful information is available here: 

www.ReadySanDiego.org

Flooding Preparedness and Resources